OTS Updates

Dear OTS Friends and Families,

We are officially one month into the school year, and it has been a great start! On the athletic front, our soccer, cross country, and volleyball teams are off to strong starts, showing teamwork, dedication, and school spirit. We are proud of the way our athletes are representing our school both on and off the field, and are thankful for the good weather.

This week also marks the kickoff of our clubs, giving students even more opportunities to connect with peers across all grade levels, pursue their interests, and contribute to our school community outside the classroom. Students interested in clubs must register by filling out paperwork and returning it to the club advisor. Click here for information about registering for clubs and which clubs we are offering.

Also, now that clubs have begun, parents picking up students need to follow our pickup procedures (see below). Students are NOT allowed to walk across the parking lot to their parents' car. They must wait for their parents to get out of their car and go retrieve their child. Parents may also use the car rider line to pick up their child. Thank you for your attention to this matter

Students have also expressed interest in volunteering, and while the President's Volunteer Service Awards no longer exists, we will be rebranding this award to continue to recognize students' volunteer and service efforts at OTS. Students who are looking to volunteer and serve their communities can do so and be recognized by our school by picking up the appropriate paperwork from our school counselor, Mrs.Gould. If you have any questions about this, please reach out to her.

We hope that our 5th graders are adjusting well to middle school life and beginning to feel at home with the routines, expectations, and new opportunities that come with this exciting transition. We hope that removing the honor roll will be a positive step for our students. Focusing on learning first, as opposed to simply grades, will help them be ready for grades 6-8. For our students in grades 6–8, we hope you are enjoying getting to know your new teachers and settling into another great year of growth and learning.

September 10th was our Back to School Night. The event was well attended, and it was wonderful to see so many families in the building supporting our students and teachers. I want to thank our 8th-grade student leaders who guided families around the building and provided some insights on how to deal with the ups and downs of middle school students. As parents, it’s easy to forget the many challenges kids face in the middle school years—friendship ups and downs, shifting moods, kids surprising us with the things they may say or do, and the push for more independence. But let’s not forget the positives: these are also years of incredible growth, curiosity, humor, and resilience. Students can surprise us with their creativity, kindness, and emerging leadership. Middle school is a time when children are figuring out who they are, and while it can be messy at times, it’s also full of energy and possibility. Thank you for your continued support as we work together to make this school year a positive and rewarding experience for all of our students.

October 5-9 Week of Respect

October 12th- No School

October 15- Meet the Candidates Night 7:00 PM @ Old Turnpike School

Lunches

Maschio's Food Services, Inc. is the contracted lunch provider at OTS. See the following links for more information about the lunch service provided by Maschio's as well as PaySchools, our point of sale service system. You can find their menu on our school website at the following link:

OTS Price List 2026-27

PaySchools Central

Please click here for more information on Maschio's. Below are two essential pieces of information to help you get started.

Recess

All 5th-grade students have recess every day

Grade 6-8 students have recess one day a week

You will receive an email in the near future with your child’s bus assignment and schedule from the district’s transportation coordinator, Bob Hoffman (bhoffmanjr@tewksburyschools.org).

Dismissal will be at 2:30pm and students taking the bus will go to their lockers and leave the school to their assigned bus.

Student and bus driver safety are of the utmost importance and are taken with extreme seriousness. Students are under the authority of the Tewksbury Board of Education when riding on a school bus. It is the policy of the Board of Education to provide for the safety and welfare of pupils at all times.

• The school bus and bus stop are extensions of the school day. All student Code of Conduct and expectations are extended to their time at bus stops and on the school bus. School bus transportation is a privilege. The bus driver is completely in charge of the bus and its riders at all times.
• Students must comply with all the rules and directions of the driver.
• Students are given assigned seats on their bus.
• Should a violation of the rules take place, a bus conduct report will be submitted to the school’s administration.
• Consequences will follow if a student(s) is violating the code of conduct on the way to school and/or on the way home from school. Consequences could include suspension from the bus.

All students are assigned to a bus route and bus stop at the beginning of the year. Changing these routes and stops is not permitted. Only students officially assigned to a bus may enter or ride that bus. Any questions or concerns regarding transportation should be directed to the district’s transportation coordinator, Bob Hoffman (bhoffmanjr@tewksburyschools.org).

If you are going to pick up your child early from school, please inform the office by an email to Dee Krowl dkrowl@tewksburyschools.org or a call to Dee Krowl at 908-439-2010 ext. 4221.

Doors to the school open at 7:15am. Students are not to be dropped off before this time as there is no supervision nor protection from the elements until then. Please understand that traffic does become heavy at times at drop off, so please plan accordingly if you are choosing to bring your child(ren) to school.

The school day begins at 7:35am. The door to school will close at that time so staff can begin their school day. If students are not in homeroom at that time, they may be marked late to school. Any cars dropping off students late will need their students to buzz into the main doors. Below is a diagram for Car Drop Off and Pick Up Procedures.

Students are NOT allowed to walk to their parents' car in the parking lot after school or clubs/sports. If the parent/guardian does not choose to use the pick up line after clubs/sports, they must get out of their car and go get their student by the OTS Gym door or Art room door and walk them to their car.

Parents CANNOT pull out of the car rider line and drive away when their child enters the car. They MUST WAIT until they reach the front of the line to drive away.

Dates for clubs are posted above. Each club is for a 1/2 year and will offer 13 after-school meetings. Clubs can change year to year. We will be posting a list of clubs offered this year after school begins, and club advisors will be speaking to your students about the various offerings during lunch, homeroom, etc.. We hope to run as many clubs as possible.

A child who wants to join a club must have their parent/guardian sign this permission form and pay the club fee of $175. This form is available here, and a paper copy will also be sent home. Please know that all clubs end at 3:30 pm unless otherwise noted by the club advisor.

If a club is canceled, OTS will make an announcement to our students in school that that particular club(s) are canceled and students should contact their parent(s)/guardian(s). Students can contact their parent(s)/guardian(s) the following way:

1. Come down to the main office and call them to inform them the club is canceled and they need to be picked up or will take the bus home

2. Email them to inform them the club is canceled and they need to be picked up or will take the bus home

If they have a cell phone, they can ask a teacher if they use their cell phone to inform them the club is canceled and they need to be picked up or will take the bus home

After clubs, students are picked up at the side of the building by the side door entrances for the Gym and/or Art rooms. Students are not allowed to walk through the parking lot to your car, so please get out of your car and come get your child if you choose not to use the pickup line. Below are some clubs we ran last year!!!

Art Club, Craft Club, Jewelry Making Club, Gaming Club, Lego Club, Battle of the Books, Odyssey of the Mind, Homework Helper, etc

Our school management software program is called Realtime. The data contained in Realtime is used as the preferred method of communication for mass emails from the district, text messages, and voice messages. This information is used for emergency situations like weather delays, school closures, etc. Please keep this information updated. You will be requested to review and update your contact information, and to whom and how you want information sent.

The Parent Portal will open on August 20 at 3:00 pm. There are several documents in Realtime that you will need to read and acknowledge prior to viewing your child's schedule and Advisor/Homeroom teacher. If you are having trouble accessing the portal, please contact our front office; dkrowl@tewksburyschools.org

RealTime is also where student records will be visible for parents including grades and any disciplinary infractions and points.

FOR THE 2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR, HOMEWORK WILL NOT BE ASSIGNED TO STUDENTS DURING THE FOLLOWING DATES, AND NO ASSESSMENT WILL BE GIVEN ON THE DAY THEY RETURN TO SCHOOL

• Rosh Hashanah (September 11 through September 13)

• Yom Kippur (September 20-21)

• Thanksgiving Recess (November 25-30)

• Winter Recess (December 23 through January 4)

• Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 18)

• Presidents’ Day weekend (February 12 through February 15)

• Spring Recess (March 25 through April 6)

• Memorial Day Weekend (May 28 through June 1)

As a reminder, Tewksbury Township Schools uses our Virtual Backpack to share things happening in and around our community. Click here to see what's going on!

Every OTS student will have a locker this year. We expect students to keep their lockers locked with their own lock or a school provided lock.

Students should not leave any food or water overnight in their lockers.

Students will not be getting changed for Physical Education (PE) and should wear comfortable clothes they can run around in as well as sneakers on the days they have PE. PE is three days a week for each student at OTS.

This school year 2026-27, Chromebook insurance will be $35 for all students. All accidental damage will be covered by our new insurance with no additional cost to parents.

Parents will pay student Chromebook insurance fees via their Payschools portal. Parents will also have the option of mailing a physical check to school during the summer before school starts. Your child can also bring a physical check into school, please make sure the check is in an envelope with your student's name on it. This should be dropped off at the OTS front office.

Please mail checks to:

Old Turnpike School

171 Old Turnpike Rd.

Tewksbury, NJ 07830

Attn: Heather Valenta

Please make checks payable to:

Tewksbury Twp. Board of Education

Chromebook Handouts 2026-27:

We are eliminating the need to come to OTS during the summer and pick up your child's device. All Chromebooks will be in your child's homeroom on the 1st day of school. Each child will receive a Dell Chromebook, and a USB-C charger. The Chromebook will be clearly labeled with your child's name and in a hard shell drop case to prevent damage.

For more information about the insurance policy as well as parent/student expectations, please click here.

Code of Conduct and Student Handbook

Parental/guardian support of school disciplinary actions is a vital part of the program as it aids in reinforcing consequences and improving student behavior. It’s also important for our parent/guardian community to understand that teachers and Administration may struggle to find appropriate consequences for alleged actions that can’t be substantiated. NOTE The Administration reserves the right to assign penalties for offenses not listed or to adjust a particular penalty when the severity of the offense warrants. Additionally, a counseling component may be included if necessary with all general discipline procedures. Lastly, while we understand your desire to know the consequences for a student who may have done something to your child, we are not legally allowed to share this information with you. This information is between the school and the parents/guardians of the child who committed the infraction. We ask for your understanding.

We have a very active PTA and hope you will join!

The Tewksbury Education Foundation (TEF) is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization established to bring innovative, inspiring, and cutting-edge events and programs to the students in the Tewksbury Township School District. In collaboration with teachers, the TEF procures enrichment programs for each grade as well as assemblies for each school. The TEF also partners with outside organizations to bring parent speaker programming and provides mini-grants directly to teachers. This year, look out for exciting community events such as STEM Night and the Barn Dance! Please visit our website https://www.tewksburytef.org to find out how to get involved and donate, and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram @TewksburyTEF.